Alcohol use is generally not recommended for patients with bipolar disorder due to its negative effects. Problems with alcohol such as alcohol abuse or dependence have been found to often co-exist in people who have bipolar disorder, notes the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, or NIAAA. The reason for the relationship is not fully understood, but it's believed that for some people alcohol is consumed to manage their bipolar symptoms while for others alcoholism triggers the bipolar disorder.
Successful treatment often consists of trial and error to find a combination that works. Treatment can include mood stabilizing medications, electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and/or antipsycho...
Each individual responds differently to medications, so treatment can be frustrating and complicated.
Because a shortage of serotonin may contribute to bipolar disorder, antidepressant drugs such as selective serotonin reupt...
Bipolar disorder brings a broad swath of psychological and physiological effects to those who have it, yet the effects of individual elements on bipolar disorder are not always well understood, according to "Bipolar Disorders."...
The diagnosis for dissociative identity disorder is made when the presence of two or more distinct identities emerge and take control of behaviors. Additionally, diagnosis includes an inability to recall important information, ...
Bipolar disorder--formerly called manic-depressive disorder--is a mood disorder that can cause extreme and uncontrolled swings from dangerous euphoria to incapacitating depression. Although the causes of bipolar disorder are no...
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that comprises both the lows of depression and the highs of mania. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, over 10 million Americans have been diagnosed with bipolar di...
Bipolar disorder, or manic depression, causes patients to cycle between high and low moods, or mania and depression. The National Institute of Mental Health points out that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health...
Bipolar disorder is a serious mood disorder characterized by manic and depressive episodes. These episodes typically last two or more weeks at a time; however, some patients experience rapid mood shifts. Bipolar disorder can af...
They show signs of being extremely depressed at times and euphoric during other periods. The episodes can last for days, weeks or months. Sometimes there are erratic changes several times a day. The effects of bipolar disorder...
Bipolar has two types: bipolar 1 and bipolar 2. Bipolar 1 is more severe and more difficult to treat. Both forms often can be managed with medication and therapy; however, they can make daily life difficult for both the patien...
Having bipolar disorder can be like riding a roller coaster. Your emotions can swing from feeling very happy (mania) to feeling very sad (depression). Bipolar disorder used to be called manic depression. According to the Nation...
Bipolar disorder is also referred to as manic-depressive illness. People suffer from extreme mood swings. They may feel energetic and overjoyed during the manic phase of the disorder. But the mood can change to sadness and hope...
While medication interventions have improved the prognosis for bipolar disorder, most continue to suffer disability and dysfunction, ranging from poor concentration and irritability to suicidal thoughts and attempts. The effec...
The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that there are approximately 5.7 million persons diagnosed with a bipolar disorder in the United States. While specific symptoms are linked to the stage of the bipolar cycle, th...
While they are effective for treating major depression, when there are no symptoms of mania, antidepressants should be used with caution when treating bipolar disorder. Antidepressants alone can cause severe mood problems with ...
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that derives its name from its symptoms: The patient has mood shifts between mania (elevated mood) and depression (lower mood). Both mood phases have sleeping problems that range from not nee...
Bipolar disorder is characterized by highs and lows known to mental health professionals as depression and mania. Parents who have bipolar disorder may significantly impact their children when they are experiencing phases of de...
Bipolar disorder, also called manic depression, affects both adults and children. Symptoms include mood swings alternating between extreme euphoria and deep depression. Bipolar disorder diagnosed in children and adolescents, ca...
In Bipolar I, the predominant mood disturbances are mania, with occasional episodes of depression. Bipolar II includes hypomania--manic symptoms that don't necessarily interfere with daily activities, accompanied by depression....
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that is classified by cyclic episodes of extreme highs and lows. The condition is sometimes called manic depressive disorder. There are different types of bipolar disorder. According to the N...
Bipolar disorder, also referred to as manic depression, is a disorder that is characterized by extreme mood changes that vary from depressive lows to manic highs, with periods of normalcy in between. People in a relationship wi...